Islamic State cannot be defeated by military action alone, say major Church leaders

24 September 2014

Leaders of two of Britain's major Churches say that the UK
Government must not give into the rhetoric that Islamic State can
simply be bombed out of existence.

In a statement released today, leaders of the Baptist Union of
Great Britain and the Methodist Church in Britain say that the case
for military intervention can only be supported as one part of a
broader political and economic strategy to tackle the ideology of
IS.

The UK Government must treat with caution suggestions that Islamic
State could be defeated primarily through military action. An
ideology - even one as dangerous and perverse as that of IS -
cannot be defeated by the use of weapons. Military action could
help to protect persecuted minorities and prevent IS from expanding
its control in Iraq. But countering extremist violence in Iraq
requires that Iraqis effectively address the underlying grievances
that provided support for the rise of IS. The situation in Syria is
more chaotic and the effectiveness of external military
intervention less certain. Both nations face difficult challenges
for which there are no easy solutions.

Military intervention carries huge risks. Any intervention must be
legally justified and can only be supported as one part of a broad
political and economic strategy which must have the support of
countries in the region. It is not certain that the most crucial
elements of such a strategy are in place. We recognise the
Government's attempts to involve Iran, but would like to see this
on a much broader front, and there are a number of unanswered
questions that must urgently be addressed. For example, what is the
level of commitment among countries in the region to take steps to
prevent the funding of violent extremism - not only in Iraq and
Syria but more broadly?

The international community also has a key role to play in
documenting human rights abuses and challenging the culture of
impunity that allows such atrocities to occur.

We are grateful that the Government has agreed to provide
resettlement for some Syrian refugees, but to date only a handful
have been resettled in the UK. This does not even begin to scratch
the surface of the level of need and further support must be
extended to displaced people from both nations, in the UK and
elsewhere. Meanwhile we welcome the contribution of the UK
Government to the support of millions of displaced persons and
refugees who remain in the region.

As Christians we stand with those who are abused, persecuted and
marginalised, whatever their faith or ethnicity. We pray that
leaders in government who grapple with seemingly impossible
situations will be guided by God's wisdom and peace. We will
continue to pray for peace, to work towards greater understanding
between peoples of all faiths and none, and to advocate for the
needs of those most marginalised.

The Revd Lynn GreenGeneral Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great
Britain